Study: Charlotte has two of NC’s deadliest stretches of road

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A new traffic study pinpointing the deadliest stretches of road across North Carolina determined two are here in Charlotte.

According to the study commissioned by the law firm of Nagle & Associates Personal Injury Trial Lawyers, the first one is Interstate 85, between Exit 36, which is Brookshire Boulevard, and Exit 41, which is Sugar Creek Road.

It is classified as the deadliest five-mile stretch in the state, with 39 fatal crashes occurring between 2000 and 2019, resulting in 42 deaths.

The second deadliest is Interstate 77 between Remount Road and Exit 13-A. There, 34 fatal crashes happened during that same 19-year time period. Approximately 38 people died in those crashes.

The study found the main factors were speed and the number of cars on the road. Attorneys hope this information will help the city plan how to improve safety and encourage drivers to be more aware.

“Drivers need to realize how dangerous it really is. You’re hurdling down the road at 60, 70 miles an hour in a 5,000-pound piece of metal,” attorney Carl Nagle said. “The AC is on, the stereo is on, so you can’t even hear the cars around you and the danger is very real.”

According to the study, crashes are consistently among the leading causes of death and injury in N.C.

It may sound obvious, but slowing down and removing distractions like cell phones are the best ways to avoid a crash.

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